Chapter 108
Gu Buqi watched his little disciple bask in the excitement of victory, and an unconscious smile tugged at the corners of his lips.
That smile lasted right up until he noticed whose hand she was holding.
His expression darkened ever so slightly.
How annoying.
Did they really think he hadn't noticed that brat's intentions toward Yuqing?
His little disciple might have been the one to take the initiative, but what truly irked him was that the boy hadn't refused.
Gu Buqi let out an inward snort.
He would have to sit his little disciple down someday and properly teach her not to be so easily charmed by male cultivators. The cultivation world was full of heartless men.
For all he knew, this brat could very well become one of them.
Naturally, Gu Buqi had forgotten one rather important detail.
Lou Yuqing knew everyone's life story.
If Ling Yunxiao ever did anything worthy of condemnation, she would almost certainly be the first person to discover it.
Standing quietly beyond the noisy crowd with his hands clasped behind his back, Gu Buqi suddenly lifted his eyes toward the empty sky, as though meeting someone's gaze across countless miles.
The next instant, his figure disappeared without a trace.
Two streaks of light shot across the heavens like meteors, arriving atop Cangtian Peak in the blink of an eye.
"Junior Chengfeng greets Senior Zixiao."
One of the figures stepped forward and bowed respectfully with cupped fists.
Bathed in sunlight, his familiar features came into view.
It was Sword Venerable Chengfeng.
Gu Buqi looked at him with quiet certainty.
"You gave my disciple such a valuable gift because you wanted to meet me."
Sword Venerable Chengfeng answered without hesitation.
"This junior would not dare deceive Senior. That is indeed one reason."
After a brief pause, he added honestly, "But I also genuinely feel an affinity with your disciple."
A faint smile appeared on Gu Buqi's face.
"At least you're honest. If I hadn't seen that you harbored no ill intentions, I would never have agreed to meet you here on Cangtian Peak."
His gaze sharpened slightly.
"As for whatever it is you wish to discuss with me..."
He paused.
"I don't recall us ever having met."
Chengfeng drew a slow breath before speaking.
"This junior has admired Senior for many years and has long wished to witness your thunder techniques. During the trial within the small world, I saw that young lady using your methods. From that, I guessed she must be the disciple you had recently accepted. That is why I sought this opportunity."
It was, without question, the longest speech he had delivered since entering the Wendao Sect.
Gu Buqi raised an eyebrow.
"So... you came to challenge me."
His gaze swept over the tall sword cultivator before him.
Within Chengfeng's eyes and brows flowed countless strands of sword intent, constantly shifting through seven distinct emotions that intertwined and transformed without end.
"The body before you is merely my avatar. It possesses the same Nascent Soul cultivation as you. So no one can accuse me of bullying a junior."
A grin slowly spread across Gu Buqi's face.
"Draw your sword."
Chengfeng's eyes immediately brightened.
Suppressing the excitement welling inside him, he drew his natal sword—the Seven Emotions Sword—and cupped his fists once more.
"Please enlighten me, Senior Zixiao."
Unbeknownst to Lou Yuqing, an unprecedented battle erupted atop Cangtian Peak.
Sword qi tore through the heavens, so fierce it seemed ready to split the sky apart.
Thousands of bolts of lightning erupted at once, weaving into a vast sea of thunder that blanketed the entire firmament.
The heavens roared.
Calamity descended.
"The Market Fair?"
This was the second time Lou Yuqing had heard Si Nidie mention it, and her curiosity immediately flared.
"Senior Sister, can we still go now?"
"Of course." Si Nidie patted her chest confidently.
"Do you know how many disciples were eliminated before you?
The ones still inside the small worlds are all elites by now.
Everyone else either stays in the plaza to watch the competition, goes back to cultivate in their rooms, or heads to the fair to browse. Quite a few choose the last option."
A grin spread across her face.
"I'm planning to take a look myself. Maybe I'll stumble across a hidden treasure."
Si Nanren nodded in agreement. He and his sister had both profited from the fair before.
Lou Yuqing was instantly tempted.
"Then let's go."
The urge to hunt for bargains was practically engraved into her soul. There was simply no describing the thrill of uncovering a hidden treasure.
Ling Yunxiao glanced at the excited crowd surrounding them before shaking his head.
"Let's wait a little longer."
The disciples were still riding the high of victory and had them completely surrounded. There was no easy way out just yet.
Lou Yuqing nodded helplessly. She felt both troubled and gratified, but in the end, satisfaction won out.
She couldn't help it.
These were simply the burdens of being an influential figure.
After a short while, the crowd's excitement finally began to fade. Seizing the opportunity, the four quietly slipped away and headed straight for the market maintained by the sect.
The Wendao Sect operated four major marketplaces—east, west, south, and north—to meet the daily needs of its disciples. Since the southern market was closest to the guest residences, that was naturally where they went.
The streets were bustling, several times livelier than usual. The moment they stepped inside, a chorus of enthusiastic vendor calls washed over them.
Pills.
Artifacts.
Arrays.
Talismans.
Puppets.
Spirit beasts.
Anything a cultivator could want was on display.
The Si siblings led Lou Yuqing and Ling Yunxiao through several winding streets before stopping in front of an unassuming little pavilion.
Lou Yuqing blinked.
Isn't this place a little... small? Could it really fit that many people?
A maid stepped forward to greet them with a practiced smile.
"Are the four honored guests here for the trade fair?"
After Si Nidie confirmed it, the maid gestured politely toward the interior.
"The trade fair is held in the innermost room on the second floor. Please proceed straight ahead."
Si Nidie tapped the counter with a finger, looking every bit like a regular customer.
"Same time as usual?"
"Yes." The maid smiled.
"Let's go."
Without another word, Si Nidie stepped onto the staircase.
The instant her foot landed on the first step, she vanished.
Lou Yuqing nearly jumped in surprise.
Seeing her expression, Si Nanren chuckled.
"Don't panic. It's just a small teleportation array."
With that, he stepped onto the stairs as well.
Lou Yuqing immediately sensed the subtle fluctuations of array energy and instinctively examined it more closely.
"If I'm not mistaken," Ling Yunxiao said, glancing at the maid, "the trade fair isn't actually inside this pavilion at all. It's held in a separate space, so the array is used to teleport everyone there."
In a single sentence, he answered the question Lou Yuqing hadn't even voiced.
Understanding dawned on her face.
So that was it.
No wonder such a tiny pavilion could accommodate so many cultivators.
The maid smiled and nodded.
"Precisely, Young Master."
Almost at the same moment, Luo Buqi happened to spot Lou Yuqing and the others entering the pavilion.
Before his mind had even caught up, his feet had already carried him after them.
His followers exchanged uneasy glances.
Is Senior Brother Luo looking for trouble again?
The maid had just watched Lou Yuqing's group disappear upstairs when Luo Buqi arrived with his entourage. She gave them a discreet once-over, and with a single glance, reached her conclusion.
These people clearly had no idea what the trade fair was.
The smile on her face immediately cooled.
"If you have business here, state it. If not, leave at once. Don't interfere with my work."
In other words: Out.
The moment he stepped inside, Luo Buqi instinctively looked around.
His first impression was that the place was small.
His second was that it looked dirt poor.
Then he heard the maid ordering him to leave, and his temper flared instantly.
He pointed accusingly at the shelves.
"With nothing but this pile of cheap junk, you think you can run a business? At this rate, you'll be bankrupt before long!"
His followers nodded vigorously in agreement.
They had already inspected the merchandise. The shelves were lined with nothing but low-grade artifacts and low-grade pills—the sort of goods that anyone with even a handful of spirit stones wouldn't bother buying.
The maid rolled her eyes without the slightest hint of courtesy.
"Did I ask you to buy anything?"
Crossing her arms, she looked at him as though he were an idiot.
"I'm not doing business with you. Why are you so concerned about whether I make money? You're not welcome here."
She casually pointed toward the door.
"So leave."
Luo Buqi's face darkened.
How could a mere maid be this arrogant?
He slammed his fist onto the counter.
"Call your boss out! I want to have a word with them!"
His followers were equally indignant.
This woman was unbelievably overbearing. She didn't seem like a servant at all—
Before the thought had even finished forming, the maid spoke.
"I am the boss."
Tilting her head, she looked at him expectantly.
"So... what exactly did you want to discuss with me?"
The followers fell silent.
Luo Buqi did too.
Even after being unceremoniously thrown out of the pavilion, he still couldn't figure out one thing.
Why would the owner disguise herself as a maid?
Her answer was simple.
To filter her customers.
Anyone who wasn't genuinely interested in the trade fair wasn't worth serving in the first place.
Once the appointed time arrived, she closed the pavilion doors.
A flash of light swept across her body.
The maid uniform vanished, replaced by a black robe.
Meanwhile, as soon as Lou Yuqing stepped onto the stairs, her figure turned faintly translucent.
A heartbeat later, a black robe materialized around her, concealing both her face and her entire body.
She blinked in surprise before quickly realizing it was another safeguard put in place by the pavilion's owner.
After all, this was a place where priceless treasures changed hands. Concealing everyone's identity spared cultivators no end of future trouble.
By the time she arrived at the trading venue, her guess had already been confirmed. Nearly every cultivator present was dressed in the same black robe, making it impossible to distinguish one person from another.
"Let's go."
Even her voice had been altered.
Lou Yuqing tugged Ling Yunxiao along and found an empty seat. Looking around, all she could see was an endless sea of black robes. There was no sign of where her senior sister had gone.
"I'm over here."
Almost as soon as the thought crossed her mind, Si Nidie's voice transmission reached her.
Turning to the right, Lou Yuqing spotted a black-robed cultivator waving enthusiastically at her.
Several nearby cultivators glanced over, but the mysterious figure remained completely unfazed and kept waving as though no one else existed.
Senior Sister really was something else.
Lou Yuqing hurriedly waved back. Only after Si Nidie finally sat down and everyone's attention drifted elsewhere did she quietly relax.
Just then, the sweet fragrance of fresh fruit drifted over.
Ling Yunxiao held out a spirit fruit. "The fair won't begin for a while. Have something to eat while we wait."
Lou Yuqing accepted it and took a bite. "It's delicious."
She immediately produced one of her own and handed it over. "Here, try this."
Ling Yunxiao accepted it, narrowing his eyes slightly as he took a slow, graceful bite. There was an almost feline elegance to the way he ate.
The fruit was sweet.
But it couldn't compare to the sweetness blooming quietly in his heart.
Seeing how much he seemed to enjoy it, Lou Yuqing cheerfully pulled out several more spirit fruits and tossed them into his hands.
"Go on. Eat as much as you want—I have plenty."
The boy who had somehow been mistaken for a glutton paused for a moment before obediently accepting them.
"...Alright."
Just then, the doors to the trade fair slowly swung shut.
The maid who had welcomed them downstairs stepped onto the trading platform. She was none other than the pavilion's owner, Du Fengyao.
Smiling warmly, she greeted the crowd.
"Welcome, everyone, to today's trade fair. Your presence is my honor."
Her gaze swept across the crowd.
"Our regular customers already know the rules, but we've welcomed quite a few new faces recently, so I'll first demonstrate how today's trading process works."
A glow of spiritual light gathered in her palm, and a delicate bell appeared out of thin air.
Forged from an exceptionally rare golden metal, it swayed gently in her hand, producing a crisp, melodious chime.
"Please take a look."
Holding the bell aloft, Du Fengyao smiled as she introduced it.
"This is a high-grade magical artifact suitable for any Foundation Establishment cultivator. Even after advancing to the Golden Core realm, it remains an excellent companion."
She gave the bell a light shake.
"It possesses illusionary abilities. A single ring is enough to disorient an opponent for at least one breath."
Her voice carried easily throughout the hall.
"I don't need to tell you how precious a single breath is in battle. I'll simply say this—that one breath may very well decide victory or defeat."
Her smooth, confident introduction stirred the atmosphere with every sentence until anticipation filled the room.
Finally, she concluded, "This artifact is called the Mind-Control Bell. I refined it personally. Many of my regular customers have purchased magical artifacts from me before, and their feedback has always been excellent. You may trust both my craftsmanship and my reputation."
She raised the bell slightly.
"The starting price is three thousand spirit stones. Any fellow Daoist who's interested may begin bidding."
The trade fair accepted two forms of payment: barter, or a direct purchase with spirit stones.